ADDING to Godolphin’s stellar Dubai World Cup weekend, the British-bred Avilius produced one of the most facile Group 1 wins you could hope to see. Sent out ‘in the red’ for the Group 1 Tancred Stakes over 2,400 metres at Rosehill, the Pivotal five-year-old sat back in the slowly run race before cruising up to the leaders as the pressure went on.
Like a training gallop he eased away from his rivals to win by two and a half lengths to the Irish-bred Raven’s Pass gelding Big Duke and with the same margin to the Ocean Park mare Rondinella.
SUPER HORSE
“I shouldn’t get paid for that one,” quipped James McDonald. “I know what all the fuss is about with him now. What a super horse, push-button.”
Unbeaten in Sydney from five starts, this was a second Group 1 in a week having won the Ranvet Stakes on Golden Slipper day.
“As careful as a trainer has to be about being arrogant coming into a big race meeting, his effort today was imperious. He’s a serious horse and fully fit his last two starts he’s proven his weight-for-age capabilities. He’s had a $1.5 million canter around Rosehill,” said James Cummings. “Regardless of the great week he’s had I looked at the horse this morning and I just felt like he was stronger, he was better than last week and it was going to take horrible bias or some sort of tragedy to happen to pull him up. He just swept to the lead beautifully in this weight for age race like a proper weight for age horse. What he was able to do there was demonstrate the natural speed and strength that he’s got.”
A Prix Niel runner-up to Cracksman in 2017, Avilius will now likely be spelled, even though he holds a nomination for the Queen Elizabeth Stakes, the final start for Winx.
Verry Elleegant impresses
TWICE placed in group races at Flemington on dry tracks, the Chris Waller-trained Verry Elleegant has cashed in on Sydney’s wet to follow up her Group 2 Phar Lap Stakes win with victory in the Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes, completing a Group 1 double for jockey James McDonald.
“She was excellent today,” said McDonald. “It was a masterstroke to put the ear muffs on. She’s been a massive work in progress. Today was the finished article. Everyone was saying she doesn’t have the right attributes to reach the top. She definitely has. She just had to put it together.”
Despite racing quite ‘green’ down the straight Verry Elleegant had too much brilliance, defeating the Frankel filly Frankely Awesome and the Victoria Oaks winner Aristia, a daughter of Lonhro.
“She’s a smart filly. She just needed a little bit of working out,” said Chris Waller as Verry Elleegant notched up his 98th Group 1 win. “I was thinking before today if she didn’t win we’d maybe look at the Queensland Oaks, give her a bit more time. I don’t think we’ve got that luxury. We can go to the (ATC Australian) Oaks with a bit of confidence.”
By Zed, Verry Elleegant’s sire has a remarkable story. A one-time NZ$400,000 Zabeel yearling who was on his way to Lee Freedman, Zed was injured in the float sustaining career-threatening leg injuries. Tested on the track with a 1,600 metre maiden win in four starts, Zed was later sacked as a sire and was covering Clydesdale mares in 2013 before having his career rekindled following the Group 1 success of Survived. The now 16-year-old stands for NZ$4,000 at Grangewilliam Stud.
The Championships
SYDNEY’S autumn racing carnival switched focus to Randwick next weekend with their self-styled ‘The Championships’ being held over consecutive weekends.
With prize money of A$21 million on offer, this weekend is headlined by the $3 million Doncaster Mile, as well as the T.J. Smith Stakes and Australian Derby, while next weekend, 13th April, will be all about Winx and the $4 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes over 2,000 metres.